This Element explores Extensive Reading (ER), a language learning approach that encourages learners to read diverse materials across various educational levels. It provides theoretical insights, analyzes benefits, addresses challenges, and proposes strategies. It also reviews recent trends and developments in ER.

This Element focuses on extensive reading (ER), a language learning and teaching approach that encourages language learners to read a large amount of interesting and level-appropriate reading materials. Extensive reading has been adopted across educational spectrums, including higher, secondary, and elementary levels, and implemented in diverse language contexts such as English, Chinese, Italian, Spanish, and French. The primary objective of this Element is to offer comprehensive insights into the theoretical foundations of ER, analyze its multifaceted benefits to language learning, address the challenges encountered in its implementation, and propose effective strategies drawn from research for these challenges. The Element concludes with an overview of the latest trends and developments in ER.